This handy pocket guide reviews the eight basic systems archetypes, from “Drifting Goals” all the way to “Tragedy of the Commons.” For each archetype, this guide provides a causal loop template; a general description of how the structure works, and brief, bulleted tips for detecting and managing the unique dynamics that the archetype generates.

This article argues that the distinctions we make in peacebuilding masks a messier, highly interdependent reality that we need to honestly engage with. We argue for a more holistic, systems view, and present three case studies of explicitly systemic peacebuilding strategies from Myanmar and Thailand. Reflection on these case studies offers insights for systemic theories of change, including engaging multiple parts of the system in parallel, rewiring relationships within the system, balancing adaptation and control, and building trust with donors to balance risk.

A significant sub-system within the system relates to tensions between different religious and/or ethnic communities resulting from a lack of trust and positive interaction.

There are four important feedback loops which constitute this sub system. The first (R10) , is characterized by the fact that hate speech against Muslims (that employs stereotypes of Muslims as violent) reinforces the perception among non-Muslims that Islam is an inherently violent or aggressive religion. This perception in turn leads people to interpret social or inter-personal conflicts or crimes as religious conflicts (since they assume that Muslims are more likely to be aggressors and/or Islam to be incompatible with other religions). This contributes to the perception that religious conflict is rife, that Islam per se is the cause of the conflicts and/or that non-Muslims are at risk from attack by Muslims, which often results in hate speech against Muslims…

This work was produced and distributed ahead of the May 2017 national dialog process of Myanmar's peace process. Based on international comparative evidence drawn from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies Peace Accords Matrix, the animation addressed contemporary peacemaking challenges in Myanmar.

This presentation, hosted by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, explores the current state of peacebuilding in Myanmar as it relates to the peace process, intercommunal violence in the country's west, and the role of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. It draws distinctions between the appearance of change and much deeper conservative forces of military and political power that maintain the status quo. Effective peacebuilding requires more attention to these deeper forces and their interaction with more visible political and conflict dynamics.

In this interview by Meredith Smith, Stephen Gray talks about recent work in Myanmar and his extensive experience in the conflict resolution field, sharing stories, insights and career advise for current students and aspiring peacebuilders.

This short talk presented to the BuildPeace 2017 Conference in Bogota describes the process and outcomes from implementing systemic action research in Myanmar. The presentation argues that by taking a systems view and empowering local communities in conflict settings to be the agents of change according to the priorities that they themselves define, peacebuilding efforts can be more scalable and sustainable. A recipe for effective bottom up peacebuilding and testament to often overlooked capacities of local communities to articulate and implement peacebuilding better than outsiders can.

Drawing on a wide range of cases, including Burma, Colombia, Senegal, and Uganda, this Peace Brief discusses the internal cohesion of non-state armed groups, explains how weak cohesion can undermine a peace process, and offers various strategies that those supporting peace processes can deploy to mitigate such risks.

A performance during the opening ceremony of the first 21st Century Panglong Conference in Nay Pyi Taw, August 2016. (Theint Mon Soe aka J | Frontier)

The 21st Century Panglong Conference represents an important milestone in Myanmar's long march to peace. But it is only one step in a much longer process to end to the violence that has long limited this country's great potential...The pathway forward is outlined in a framework for political dialog that has been negotiated following 2015's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

Shock announcement: scientists reveal that everything is going to be OK

In a shocking announcement, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that everything is actually going to be OK. Their report, released Tuesday, claims that people have developed an unhealthy obsession with bad news, which warps their view of reality, and leaves them prone to histrionic fits of rabid frothing. Instead of worrying about end times, the report claims, people should just kick back, skin up, and listen to Chromeo.